Like beef jerky? Gross. [Will, of course, assumes every word is the gospel truth. He could look it up, but that would mean he doubts Mike's endless wisdom. And he would never.
Then he pauses, absently looking down at the sauce-splattered counter and dragging a finger through it.] Who...would you wanna hire?
[There's like three seconds where Will doesn't get the joke and looks bewildered and perturbed. But then it lands, and he breaks into a laugh, rolling his eyes and reaching out to shove lightly at Mike's shoulder.]
Stop that. I'm being serious! Like, if you don't...y'know, if this is your thing, I don't wanna...I dunno. [Another shove. He's not blushing, shut up.<]
[He's trying to be annoyed, wow, stop grinning like the literal sun. It just makes Will sort of snortlaugh, the sound trailing off, his ears turning bright red.] Okay. Okay, cool. Cause I -- want to help. Definitely.
-- oh, I uh. Got you something too. [He stuffs a hand in one pocket, then frowns.] You gotta promise not to think it's weird, though.
[That gets a snort of a laugh, then Will digs out a long leather cord -- cause leather is Cool and Manly -- with a very small chunk of bloodstone on it.] It's -- from a papercut, I didn't get like...weird about it.
[Because giving your boyfriend jewels made out of blood isn't weird.] I just. I saved it cause it's valuable and stuff, but I thought...I know it makes people more powerful and...I dunno.
[First of all, Mike wishes he'd thought of the papercut thing, because he was absolutely weird about his and Will would have disapproved. Second of all, shut right up because he loves it.]
Only if by weird you mean awesome. [He grins as he lifts it gently from Will's hand, admiring the iridescent stone.] I'm never taking it off.
[It can go right next to his other leather bracelet, the one woven with the bisexual flag colors. Maybe he can collect a whole wrist's worth of bracelets from Will.]
[Are they at the weird blood ritual stage of their relationship? Probably.
Will's anxious grin fades into a bright, genuine one, the nervous tension leaving his shoulders. He lets Mike admire the stone for a moment, then reaches to help fasten it onto the other boy's wrist.] It's supposed to like...help with stuff? I dunno.
[He keeps his head bowed, gloved hands carefully tying the leather cord.] It makes me feel better, like...it'll make you safer, even if I'm not with you. Or something.
Will rolls his eyes, then reaches out, sliding his hand into Mike's sauce-splattered one and squeezing gently.] Hey, um. Even with...everything, I'm...still happy we're here. Together.
[For a moment, Mike's expression is one of gentle, quiet surprise. It isn't that he doubts Will's feelings, not after so many years of laced hands and earnest, late-night whispers. But even now, with their lives and hearts so entwined, the words catch him off guard. And deep down in his stomach, he's not entirely sure it's in a good way.
Will shouldn't want to be here, not because of him. But then, they made this choice together. They sat in the blanket fort and mulled over the antlers and decided that their own world was no longer right for them. They were puzzle pieces dropped into the wrong box, and no amount of trips to the counselor's office or encouraging words from Will's mom was going to change that.
They're where they belong, now, for better or for worse.]
Me too. [He presses their palms together, and smiles wider at the gross, squishing sound the tomato sauce makes. Boys will be boys.] There's no one else I'd rather be here with.
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deadboywalking
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Date: 2022-03-10 02:57 am (UTC)Then he pauses, absently looking down at the sauce-splattered counter and dragging a finger through it.] Who...would you wanna hire?
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Date: 2022-03-10 01:36 pm (UTC)Well, I was thinking about maybe hiring Marshmallow. Or Frodo. [Hmmmmm.] Or some random dude off the street.
[He leans closer, barely holding back a teasing grin.]
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Date: 2022-03-13 05:52 am (UTC)Stop that. I'm being serious! Like, if you don't...y'know, if this is your thing, I don't wanna...I dunno. [Another shove. He's not blushing, shut up.<]
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Date: 2022-03-15 02:01 pm (UTC)As if I'd ask literally anyone else to help before I asked you. C'mon, man.
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Date: 2022-03-16 03:12 am (UTC)-- oh, I uh. Got you something too. [He stuffs a hand in one pocket, then frowns.] You gotta promise not to think it's weird, though.
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Date: 2022-03-16 03:33 pm (UTC)[A challenge for his birthday coming up.]
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Date: 2022-03-20 03:44 am (UTC)[Because giving your boyfriend jewels made out of blood isn't weird.] I just. I saved it cause it's valuable and stuff, but I thought...I know it makes people more powerful and...I dunno.
I told you it was weird.
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Date: 2022-03-21 05:18 am (UTC)Only if by weird you mean awesome. [He grins as he lifts it gently from Will's hand, admiring the iridescent stone.] I'm never taking it off.
[It can go right next to his other leather bracelet, the one woven with the bisexual flag colors. Maybe he can collect a whole wrist's worth of bracelets from Will.]
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Date: 2022-03-24 03:26 am (UTC)Will's anxious grin fades into a bright, genuine one, the nervous tension leaving his shoulders. He lets Mike admire the stone for a moment, then reaches to help fasten it onto the other boy's wrist.] It's supposed to like...help with stuff? I dunno.
[He keeps his head bowed, gloved hands carefully tying the leather cord.] It makes me feel better, like...it'll make you safer, even if I'm not with you. Or something.
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Date: 2022-03-30 02:34 pm (UTC)Like I'd ever do anything unsafe. [A pause, as he admires his little Boyfriend Bracelet Set™.] ... On purpose.
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Date: 2022-04-04 03:28 am (UTC)Will rolls his eyes, then reaches out, sliding his hand into Mike's sauce-splattered one and squeezing gently.] Hey, um. Even with...everything, I'm...still happy we're here. Together.
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Date: 2022-04-12 03:41 pm (UTC)Will shouldn't want to be here, not because of him. But then, they made this choice together. They sat in the blanket fort and mulled over the antlers and decided that their own world was no longer right for them. They were puzzle pieces dropped into the wrong box, and no amount of trips to the counselor's office or encouraging words from Will's mom was going to change that.
They're where they belong, now, for better or for worse.]
Me too. [He presses their palms together, and smiles wider at the gross, squishing sound the tomato sauce makes. Boys will be boys.] There's no one else I'd rather be here with.
[. . .]
Not even Orlando Bloom.